So, I have been lurking around enough, shot my first roll with my first Leica and made a few initial scans from some frames of TX400 with the 50 1.4 ASPH.
All frames shot wide open @ ISO 3200. The darkest light was with the workers break at 1/15.
That 50mm has NO distortion and absolutely ZILCH flare or ghosting!!!
I am very impressed, how these two things look, compared to my now sold Nikon 50 1.4D and to the 50 1.4G, which I keep for my Nikon bodies.
The Nikon 50 1.4 AF-D has been a ghost machine, shot under these circumstances.

The images are scanned @ 3200dpi, sharpened in Lightroom with secret sauce and exported for web without further post processing.

Thanks David. I really need to find more time to shoot these days and share more.
Where do you process your film in Shanghai?

I am very pleased with Yi Qiang Imaging in the Xietu Lu/ Luban Lu Camera Mall. They really have a good hand for developing and I always got first class quality.

Do you process your B&W negative by yourself or in YiQian?
YiQian is really a professional photo relative store and some girl in it is very beautiful.I bought film in it.

But the traffic to XingGuang Camera Mall for me is not convenient,usually I send my film to a KODAK photo store near my home. If I care some photo very much or I need to process slide ,then I go to GeLin in WuLuMuQi Road for stable quality. Recent years I always worry about the process quality of negative,because it's cheap and easy-use.

Some time I process B&W by myself,but It's tired and my wife doesn't like the smell,I have to stop it.

I bought a scanner NIKON COOLSCAN 5000ED for LEICA,for the high image quality.

Do you process your B&W negative by yourself or in YiQian?
YiQian is really a professional photo relative store and some girl in it is very beautiful.I bought film in it.
…
I bought a scanner NIKON COOLSCAN 5000ED for LEICA,for the high image quality.

David, I let YiQian do the processing. I got a second hand R-D1 some some days ago and this little camera really hooked me ;-)

David, I let YiQian do the processing. I got a second hand R-D1 some some days ago and this little camera really hooked me ;-)

I envy you on the Coolscan. Where did you buy it in Shanghai?

Back to the thread topic:

"E"

EPSON R-D1, Leica 50mm Summilux M ASPH, ISO 1600, monochrome JPG

Sorry for the delayed reply. I had a trip in Europe during the end of 2009.It was so cold in north Germany so I flied to Czech ,Italy and Switzerland. I didn't take my 50/1.4A but 8-element for the light weight and small size.

I bought the 5000ED also by second hand from a Shanghai photographer with a low price. And I am always waiting for a sutiable Digital Leica M. R-D1 is a good choice which I had borrowed from my friend for a short period ,the color is impressive. You got nice photo! Why is it so clean in ISO1600!?

Since Leica Summilux 50 ASPH is supposed to be the best of the best 50mm lens - I wonder how come different people get such different results? I mean some photos do look like they came from a top lens, yet others -- too soft, too flary, something my Jupiter -8 lens could compete with. What gives? Are so many Luxes having QC problems? It cant be just user error so many times, can it?
If I was considering to get this lens and looked at the photos in this thread - I'd be more confused about it after looking at the pics tha before. Too inconsistent for my liking. Just check other similar threads for different lenses - like CV 35/1.2 - very clear and consistent shots from different users give a good idea about how lens performs, yet nothing of that kind here. I'm puzzled. Anyone cares to clarify this to me?

Krosya - I'd chalk it up to scanning and post processing. I would be shocked b.espahbod's dog pictures didn't have some extensive sharpening going on (not that it looks bad). Likewise, Renzsu's wonderful photos look like the black point could be set higher if you wanted too.

To be clear, I'm not criticizing either set of photos. Just different scanning and post processing procedures.

I shot on slide film, which I find a lot harder to scan and get super crisp and sharp results with, especially compared to low iso b/w silver film.
Also these shots are post processed for an extra summery look, so I've added flare in post, especially with that last shot.

Never trust what you see and judge that as a straight out of camera shot. I would never post a straight out of camera shot if I was doing a model photo shoot.
Street photography, now that's a different story.

I shot on slide film, which I find a lot harder to scan and get super crisp and sharp results with, especially compared to low iso b/w silver film.
Also these shots are post processed for an extra summery look, so I've added flare in post, especially with that last shot.

Never trust what you see and judge that as a straight out of camera shot. I would never post a straight out of camera shot if I was doing a model photo shoot.
Street photography, now that's a different story.

Ok, so could you please tell me more about your pics in post #107 - B&W pics - street photos, -to me they look like they came from ANY other lens BUT Lux ASPH. Was there some post processing there? I'm just trying to understand this lens and what it can do - how much is the lens and how much is added later in post-processing. Cause , while those photos are not bad, I just expect a lot more from a lens that costs over 3K USD.

What should images from a lens that used to cost $1800 or so, and now costs $3000+, look like on the internets?

I think you know what you are doing here, and it's kinda sad.

I think you are taking things a bit too personal. Or seeing something in my posts thats not there. I didnt say that ALL images dont look like they came from such expensive lens. Some do lookvery good. But than there are some that look a LOT different. So I wondered why - not that I OWE you ANY explanation.

Ok, so could you please tel me more about your pics in post #107 - B&W pics - street photos, -to me the look like they came from ANY other lens BUT Lux ASPH. Was there some post processing there? I'm just trying to understand this lens and what it can do - how much is the lens and how much is added later in post-processing. Cause , while those photos are not bad, I just expect a lot more from a lens that costs over 3K USD.

I assure you, they were made with the Lux ASPH. I'm not sure WHAT exactly you are looking for. It would help if you could quantify it or at least put it to words..

How much a lens can do is a vague statement, it depends on who's using the lens, what film he's using, what developer, scanner settings, etc. etc.
I'm not using an M9, so you have to keep in mind that a lot of character comes from stuff that has nothing to do with the lens.
In this case I only adjusted the curves and contrast a bit in Lightroom, perhaps a little bit of sharpening.

The shape of the aperture changes a lot between shooting wide open (completely round), to smaller apertures where you almost get a star shape.. so wide open you can expect smooth oof effects, yet stop down a bit and things can get a bit busy.

Finally, sorry but your statement 'the photos aren't bad, but I expect a lot more from such or such a lens'... I would be offended. Whatever.

Krosya, not taking anything personal. Just mentioned this regarding the thread.

I thought it was well established that the 50mm summilux is better than anything from 1 meter and closer, at f1.4. And that's when you can prop the thing on a tripod and use slow film or digital. Outside these parameters it is difficult to tell this lens from other modern lenses. His photos were not shot at f1.4, hence my assumption you had an axe to grind or something.

The moment I get below 1/60th second, farther than 1-2 meters, or above f2, I can't tell images from the f1.5 Nokton, summilux asph, or Millenium Nikkor apart. Even side-by-side it would be difficult.

Maybe spare this thread, and start a new one on this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krosya

I think you are taking things a bit too personal. Or seeing something in my posts thats not there. I didnt say that ALL images dont look like they came from such expensive lens. Some do lookvery good. But than there are some that look a LOT different. So I wondered why - not that I OWE you ANY explanation.

Finally, sorry but your statement 'the photos aren't bad, but I expect a lot more from such or such a lens'... I would be offended. Whatever.

My statement was directed at ONLY lens performance - not at YOUR ability to take photos or anything else. So no reason to be offended. I thought it was clear, but....Whatever.

I see people are getting sensative about my questions/critique of this lens, so I'll try to clear the air - when I do my research of the lens - I look at as many photos as I can find that were made with it. And thread like this usually helps. Thats when I noticed that so many images look different. I'd think that same lens has same performance - AGAIN not an artistic view, but pure technical stuff, and in this case it didnt look consistent. So I asked. If anyone can explain this - great! If not - well, I didnt mean to hurt anyone's feelings. Geez - God forbid I ask questions about the lens at the camera forum.......

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